Dallas Roof Restoration Vs. Roof Replacement

7/15/2020 (Permalink)

Is your roof in need of restoration or reconstruction? SERVPRO provides building reconstruction services for Dallas residents.

In Dallas, we’re no strangers to wild weather. In October of last year, 10 tornadoes hit our area in a single day and caused significant storm damage in Dallas. With climate change in effect, we can expect to see an increase in storm activity.

Severe storms serve as a reminder of the shelter a roof provides. While we stay dry and safe, the roof takes a beating from forceful winds, hard rain, hail, and sometimes even a tornado. 

At SERVPRO, our hope is that you remain safe when facing extreme weather but we are also here to remind you to check your roof once a big storm has passed. Storm damage roof repair could be necessary.

While it’s a tremendous relief for your home to still be standing after a major event, that doesn’t mean the structure went unharmed. Severe conditions like hail, ice storms, and extreme wind cause damage that eats away the integrity of the roof (shingle damage especially).

Can a Roof Be Repaired Instead of Replaced?

Considering the time and cost that goes into a complete roof replacement, a simple repair is preferable. However, repairing the roof may not be the appropriate remedy.

The extent of the damage and how long it’s been that way determine the extent of remediation. It may just be a small area of damage that needs patching. But if there is significant damage underneath these trouble spots, it needs more extensive work.

Roof Repair Vs Roof Replacement Vs Roof Restoration

Understanding what roof remediation involves begins with understanding the three different approaches: roof repair, roof restoration, or a complete roof replacement.

We’ll go over each of these.

Roof Repair

The least involved process, a roof repair is best for minimal roof damage. A small section of the roof (30% or less) sustained minor damage. Examples of this would be missing shingles or replacing a few pieces of rotting wood.

Roof Replacement

Now for the most involved roofing repair method. For a roof replacement either the entire roof is removed to make way for the new one, or rebuilt on top of the original roof.

If the roof is older than 20 years, a replacement is more than likely necessary. If you notice roofing work happening on your neighbor’s houses, that’s a strong hint that it’s time to call the professionals (like SERVPRO)

Signs of a roof beyond repair or restoration: cracked or curled shingles, bald spots, dark streaks, mold, moss, indications the roof will collapse, etc.

Roof Restoration

Roof restoration is less extensive than a complete replacement. The purpose of the project is to restore the roof back to preloss condition (including resurfacing the roof with a protective treatment).

Restoration isn’t always related to weather damage. Other scenarios are roof improvements when a home is up for sale/rent, or when the roof causes heating and cooling issues inside the home.

To qualify for a roof restoration, the roof needs to be structurally sound and not old. Any leak issues should be readily repaired. Roof restoral situations: some fire damage, water damage, hail damage, wind damage, etc.

The advantages of roof restoration are:

• Lower cost and less invasive than a complete replacement
• HVAC savings
• Extends the life of the roof
• Tax benefit
• Less landfill waste

So, why do Dallas homes end up needing these repairs?

Common Causes of Dallas Roof Damage

Our SERVPRO specialists have seen roof damage of all kinds. Here are the four types of damage we see most often in the Dallas area. 

1. Dallas Water Damage: 

Leaks in a roof are usually caused by weather damage and a leaking or soggy roof is bad news. 

Contributing factors: damaged shingles, faulty roof installation/manufacturing, warped flashing, issues with a skylight, or a chimney.

If your roof is “California style,” it’s susceptible to valley damage. This occurs where the pieces aren’t cut properly for effective rainwater channeling.

If you’ve had a new roof installed within a year or so, leak repairs ought to be covered by the warranty.

2. Dallas Fire Damage: 

A house fire to the property or even from a neighboring property can cause damage even if the roof didn’t burn at all due to extreme heat from the flames. 

From the asphalt shingles to the rafters, damage from a house fire penetrates the roof structure.

3. Dallas Hail Damage:

Texas-sized storms will sometimes drop hard ice pellets known as hail. Hail damage is either surface-level shingle damage or it impacts the deeper layers. 

The shingles are the protective skin of the roof. Weakening these pieces leads to areas of exposure and leaks. 

When high-impact hail chunks cause cracks or depressions, this creates vulnerable points for water to sneak in. This, of course, leads to leaks and may progress to rotting of the wood.

4. Dallas Wind Damage:

And while hail is rare, strong winds come with storms of all seasons. Every piece of the roof (no matter how small) comes together to protect the integrity of the structure. 

When winds peel off shingles or other pieces, this leaves the roof exposed to water and other damage.

Whatever the cause, SERVPRO is here 24/7 for immediate response to Dallas, TX storm damage events. Call us anytime, day or night.

Steps to Dallas Roof Restoration

Say you do need a roof restoration. What does the Dallas storm damage repair process involve? Here are the essential parts.

1. Assessment: A professional roof restoration service (like our SERVPRO team) visits the property to inspect the entire roof. They meticulously search for any signs of vulnerability or water damage. When needed, we’ll place emergency tarping on the roof to prevent further water damage during roof replacement or restoration.
2. Cleaning: Remove debris and wash away dirt/grime. Other trouble areas may be discovered during the cleaning process. Any rust, moss, mildew, or lichen is also removed.
3. Seal weaknesses: The seams, flashing, or fasteners are checked for cracks or wear. Damage around vents, skylights, chimney, etc. may also have water or moisture entry points. These problem areas will be sealed.
4. Repair/rebuild the roof: New materials replace broken, worn, rotten, or warped parts to bring the roof back to its original state.
5. Coating: Adding a protective layer extends the life of the roof elements. Coating options are acrylic, asphalt emulsion, solvent-based asphalt, or solvent-based silicone.

SERVPRO's roof recovery goal is to restore the roof back to its original condition or better.

Contact SERVPRO For Professional Roof Damage Repair in Dallas, Texas

Roof damage repair is something most property owners can’t complete on their own. It involves professional equipment and a trained eye for flaws in the roof (that may not be apparent to others). Construction or installation that isn’t done properly may cause issues in the future.

During the inspection, our SERVPRO experts uncover any and all roof issues to prevent matters from getting worse. Next, we do a thorough roof restoral. Our professionals ensure that the construction is sound and that the roof is watertight. (Check out the before and after images of a collapsed roof from a storm that brought a tree down on a Dallas residence.)

SERVPRO’s Dallas building reconstruction services are carried out by experienced professionals so you won’t have to worry about flaws in the work.

We make it "Like it never even happened." Call the team at SERVPRO of North Irving when the next major storm event blows through or any time you have any roof damage concerns.